This is a collection of news about border issues, particularly those seen from Arizona and regarding the right to keep and bear arms. Sources often include Mexican media. It's often interesting to see how different the view is from the south.
If you have comments or questions drop a line to (the name of this blog)(a)knoxcomm.com

Friday, February 3, 2012

AZMEX UPDATE 3-2-12

Federal agents, state police and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office arrested nine people and confiscated nearly 500 pounds of marijuana during a drug enforcement operation this week.The Border Patrol said Friday the busts occurred Wednesday night near Interstate 8 in Stanfield. Agents also confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle.

A Mexican cartel operating in Naco, Sonora, has been dealt a hard blow as Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigators arrested nine people suspected of involvement in drug running Monday and Tuesday.Amber Cargille, ICE public communications officer, said all of those arrested were suspected of trafficking marijuana and some cocaine.

U.S. Attorney General federal prosecutor Nanette Morrow said the success of the sting operation was the result of hard work by local law enforcement officers, who cooperated with the U.S. Border Patrol, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Cochise County Sheriff's Office, the Sierra Vista Police Department, the Douglas Police Department and the Bisbee Police Department."I've only been involved since May 2011, but this investigation has been ongoing since 2010," added Morrow.Though Jose Javier Rascon Ramirez, the head of the family-operated cartel, is still at large in Mexico and never crosses the border, many of his family members were arrested in joint operations, said Morrow.His common-law wife, Guillermina Guadalupe Jiminez, 44, was arrested as she came across the border at the Naco Port of Entry on her daily trip to drop her children off at school. Agents watched her movements for months and knew they would be able to apprehend her as she came into the U.S., said Morrow.She will be charged with racketeering, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire communications for drug transactions and possession, sale or manufacture of narcotic drugs, according to Morrow.Others arrested were:• Laura Elena Rascon Ramirez, 31, Tucson, Ariz., — racketeering, money laundering, wire communications for drug transactions, sale, possession or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Jose Garcia Aguilera, 23, Naco, Ariz.,. — racketeering, two counts of wire communications for drug transactions, transportation for marijuana for sale, possession, sale or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Ruben Sanchez, 20, Naco, Sonora — racketeering, money laundering, wire communication for drug transactions, possession, sale or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Hipolito Avalos Ramirez, 54, Naco, Ariz., — racketeering, money laundering, wire communications for drug transactions, sale, possession or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Alejandro Quiroz, 18, Naco, Ariz., — racketeering, money laundering, wire communications for drug transactions, transportation of marijuana for sale, possession, sale or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Eleuterio Perez Martinez, 24, Palominas, — conspiracy, five counts of transportation of marijuana for sale and four counts of wire communications for drug transactions.• Rogelio Serrano Morales, 33, Bisbee, — racketeering, wire communications for drug transactions, transportation of marijuana for sale, possession, sale or manufacture of a narcotic drug.• Justin Blaine, 34, Bisbee, — picked up on an outstanding federal warrant."These are all family members — wives, brothers, sisters. They know they can trust each other, so they think they're safe," added Morrow.All were booked into the Cochise County Jail.Morrow will be presenting her case to a federal grand jury based on the charges listed above."It was a great bunch of guys, a great team, who worked on this and put it all together," she continued. "Many places would have jurisdictional problems. But, law enforcement in Cochise County stepped up and got the bad guys off the street."Now that local and federal law enforcement teams have done their jobs, it will be up to her to handle the prosecution and get the convictions based on the evidence law enforcement has gathered.

TUCSON (AP) - A brush and grass fire is burning in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona.

A Coronado National Forest spokeswoman reports the fire has burned about 100 acres at this time in an area which was not burned by last summer's Horseshoe Two Fire.The fire was spotted Thursday afternoon.

A Juárez human rights activist and founder of "Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa," Norma Andrade, was attacked this morning in Mexico City, her daughter said.She was stabbed in the jugular vein.According to her daughter Maria Luisa Andrade, a man knocked on the door of her mother's house in Mexico City and when she opened the door he attacked her."It was a direct attack against my mother; he (the aggressor) didn't take anything, he just knocked on the door and assaulted her with a knife," she said."Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa" is an advocacy organization composed of mothers, friends and relatives of the missing women in Juárez. This is the second time in less than two months that Andrade has been attacked.On Dec. 2, she was a victim of an alleged carjacking attempt in Juárez. She was shot five times and survived the attack.According to Maria Luisa Andrade, her mother is in serious condition.